unit 4: congress

A congressional committee was created to investigate any intelligence failures that might have occurred prior to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. What kind of committee does this represent? a. Select b. Conference c. Standing d. Joint e. Oversight

a

Congressional districts for the House are determined in the majority of states by a. A census and the various state legislatures b. A vote held in the Senate by the majority party c. A nonpartisan commission d. An executive order of the president e. The Supreme Court

a

What conclusion can you reach from the fact that informal congressional caucus groups such as the black caucus and caucus for women's issues have been formed? a. Caucus groups were organized to better serve voter constituents. b. There is an indirect relationship between these groups and special interest groups. c. Caucus groups have had little impact on the legislative process. d. Republican groups were more numerous than Democratic groups. e. Democratic caucus groups were more powerful than Republican groups.

a

The House ________ Committee prioritizes bills before they go on to the full House, thus performing a traffic cop function. a. Review b. Rules c. Appropriations d. Ways and Means e. Authorization

b

Which is true about midterm elections? a. the reelection rates of incumbents are significantly lower than they are in presidential election years. b. the president's party typically loses seats in Congress. c. one third of the House seats are up for reelection. d. they typically lead to the resignation of a president's Cabinet. e. congressional leadership is rotated to the party that has been out of power.

b

How did the composition of Congress change between 1950 and 2002? a. The percentage of African Americans in Congress is similar to the percentage of African Americans in the country as a whole. b. There was no change in the number of women, but the number of African Americans increased c. Although representation does not mirror the population as a whole, there are more minorities and women than previously. d. There are fewer Hispanics but more African Americans and women. e. There was no change in the number of ethnic minorities, but the number of women increased.

c

In its investigation of Supreme Court nominees, the Senate Judiciary Committee a. follows the custom of senatorial courtesy. b. limits its investigation to the nominee's judicial integrity and experience. c. may probe a nominee's judicial philosophy in great detail. d. plays a minor role e. is basically a rubber stamp for the president's nomination.

c

Which of the following describes the ruling in Shaw v. Reno (1993) ? a. The Voting Rights Act was ruled unconstitutional. b. The poll tax was eliminated. c. Racial gerrymandering was ruled unconstitutional. d. It was decided that congressional districts needed to be equal in size.

c

Which of the following is a largely ceremonial position in the Senate? a. minority whip b. majority whip c. president pro tempore d. minority leader e. majority leader

c

Which of the following statements is true of most bills introduced in the House of Representatives and Senate? a. Most bills are passed by one chamber of Congress but die from lack of support in the opposite chamber. b. Most bills are passed by committees but die from lack of support in the respective chamber. c. Most bills are referred to appropriate committees but are never sent to the full Congress, they simply die in committee. d. Almost every bill in Congress dies from lack of support in the House Rules Committee. e. Most bills are withdrawn by the bill's sponsor before even being considered.

c

Most bills formally submitted for consideration in Congress a. are passed and signed into law. b. are defeated in final votes on the floors of one chamber. c. are passed, but vetoed by the president. d. pass one house, but are killed in the other house. e. are quietly killed off early in the process.

e

Which of the following best reflects the holding in the case Baker v. Carr (1962) ? a. Created a one-person, one-vote standard for reviewing congressional districts.This answer is correct. b. Declared that racial gerrymandering was a violation of the due process clause. c. Stated that the Seventeenth Amendment requires regular review of the constitutionality of congressional districts. d. Stated that the Tenth Amendment exclusively reserves the power to review congressional districts to the states.

a

Which of the following statements concerning the Speaker of the House of Representatives is TRUE? a. The Speaker is elected by the majority party in the House of Representatives. b. The Speaker must be at least 35 years of age. c. The Speaker only votes whenever the House vote has ended in a tie. d. The Speaker is chosen by the president and confirmed by the Senate e. The Speaker must be endorsed by the Supreme Court because of the importance of the position.

a

Which of the following statements accurately summarizes the reasoning for the decision in Baker v. Carr (1962)? a. To ensure equal protection under the law, there should be an equal number of rural and urban districts in a state. b. There should be redistricting every ten years at the federal level, but the state can choose not to redistrict at the state and local levels. c. Because rural districts had fewer people, representation was unevenly distributed; thus, Baker was denied equal protection under the law. d. Congressional redistricting must involve traditionally excluded groups in the process or it violates the equal protection clause.

c

An example of casework by a member of Congress is a. writing a newsletter to send out to constituents. b. meeting with an interest group's lobbyist. c. voting for a bill desired by constituents. d. helping a constituent gain financial aid from the Small Business Administration. e. working with a caucus on public policy.

d

Compared to members of the House, senators are generally a. less affluent. b. more likely to have personal contact with their constituents. c. less likely to use television in their reelection campaigns. d. more likely to face difficult reelection opponents. e. as likely to win reelection

d

Which of the following statements is NOT true about the United States Senate? a. It shares the ability to declare war with the House of Representatives. b. The vice president presides over the Senate and only votes in the event of a tie. c. There is no rules committee to limit debate in the Senate. d. The membership of the Senate has always been made up of more common individuals rather than the rich elite. e. Until the 17th Amendment, senators were elected by state legislatures.

d

To actually fund a program, Congress must pass an ________ bill. a. impoundment b. omnibus c. authorization d. expenditure e. appropriations

e

Those who argue that the House of Representatives is the government institution most responsive to the will of the public are most likely to cite as evidence the fact that a. Congress has oversight power over many executive agencies b. Congressional reelection campaigns are extremely costly c. Representatives must run for reelection every two years d. Average citizens may, on occasion, be called to testify before a congressional committee e. Term limits may soon restrict the number of years a congressperson may serve

c

The Constitution provides that one-third of the Senate's membership is up for election every two years so that a. Voters have more of a chance to change control of the Senate from one party to another b. House members may decide whether to run for the Senate c. Committee assignments can be alternated between Democrats and Republicans d. Congressional apportionment can alter the size of House districts e. The entire House and entire Senate are not elected in the same year

e

When members of Congress hold a hearing to question a cabinet member on how a law is being carried out, they are engaging in a. logrolling b. pork barrelling. c. agenda-setting. d. congressional administration. e. legislative oversight.

e

Which of the following is a major cause of the inability of Congress to pass legislation? a. The increased number of southern Republicans elected to Congress b. The number of bills proposed by the president c. Lobbyists influencing Congress d. The change in the party identification of voters e. Divided party control of the Congress

e

Whips have which of the following functions? a. They preside over the House when the speaker is absent. b. They act as direct liaisons to the White House. c. They make appointments to the various House and Senate committees. d. They work closely with the minority party in the name of bipartisanship. e. They are responsible for keeping party member inline when a vote occurs.

e